Evolution Quiz

Charles Darwin's most significant scientific voyage was aboard:

• HMS Victory

• HMS Beagle

• HMS Discovery

• HMS Endeavour

During his Galapagos Islands observations, Darwin was particularly intrigued by:

• Marine iguanas

• Volcanic rock formations

• Finches with different beak shapes

• Unique plant species

Darwin's theory of "Descent with Modifications" primarily suggests that:

• Species remain unchanged over time

• Organisms evolve from common ancestors

• Only the strongest organisms survive

• Genetic mutations are random

Which condition is NOT essential for natural selection to occur?

• Heritable variation among individuals

• Overproduction of offspring

• Unlimited environmental resources

• Competition for survival

Evolution can be defined as:

• The extinction of species

• Changes in allele frequencies in a population over time

• The emergence of new species instantaneously

• Genetic mutations in individual organisms

In the rock pocket mouse example, the type of selection demonstrated is:

• Stabilizing selection

• Directional selection

• Disruptive selection

• Artificial selection

Homologous structures provide evidence of evolution by showing:

• Identical functions across species

• Similar bone structures in different species

• Completely unique adaptations

• Random genetic variations

The best molecular evidence of common ancestry is:

• Protein similarities

• Physical resemblances

• Fossil records

• DNA sequence similarities

Vestigial structures are best described as:

• Fully functional body parts

• Structures with no current major function

• Newly evolved adaptations

• Randomly occurring body parts

Speciation occurs when:

• Populations remain in constant contact

• Gene pools become separated

• All organisms look identical

• Mutations stop occurring